Author: Thanhha Lai
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publishing Date: 2011
Summary: (From book)
"No one believes me,
But at times
I would choose
wartime in Saigon
over
peacetime in Alabama."
For all the ten years of her life, Ha' has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by....and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.
But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Ha' and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed towards hope. In America, Ha' discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape...the strength of her very own family.
My Thoughts: What a beautiful book. I was first attracted to the cover, and then the style of the book. I have never read a book written entirely in prose. Hats off to the author, my lack at writing poetry really left me in awe of her style.
Part of what made this book so interesting is that this story is written from what she remembers happening to her as a child. It really makes the story all the more real. The characters may be fictional, but the circumstances and story are not.
It was a short read, about an hour to finish, but well worth it for the beauty of the words. Ha's story was touching and I found a soft spot for her older brothers that tried so hard to protect her. It was devastating to see how rude people can be just over different cultures and backgrounds.
The idea of Ha' and her family being baptized into Christianity with no concept of its principles or even giving their consent was shocking.
We are all God's children, and He loves us no matter what we believe or where we come from. Part of our journey here on earth is to use our agency to turn to Him. This book is the halfway mark to my goal for the year, fifty two books, and I think I'd like to start doing some things different on this blog. My motto for this has been: Gaining life perspective through a literary lens, and I'd like to start posting what sort of lesson or overall message I get from what I read that will help me in my life.
The message I received from this book is a bit of a recap from what I said above. We are all God's children and He loves us no matter what our skin color, backgrounds or social status. The change I am going to make from having read this book is to be more Christlike to everyone.
Happy Half Way Point!
No comments:
Post a Comment